Heat, Dust, and Campfire Cameos: A Magma Trial Run Story
24 Oct, 2025
– with David Gonzalez
David’s rooftop tent reboot begins in Leslie Gulch, Eastern Oregon, a high-desert canyon landscape in the Northwestern United States, where heat, dust and colorful campsite characters share the stage. Used to an Odyssey, he gives the Magma a fair shake and finds that airflow, lighting and simple habits are enough to tip the scales. The tent earns its keep, and the story earns a good, memorable read.
My James Baroud Odyssey rooftop tent and I have shared six glorious adventures together, each filled with highs and lows and outright laughter. In short, we have bonded. So, when James Baroud offered to swap my Odyssey for a Magma with the goal of generating social media content for their newer tent with a super rugged, Line-X coated hardshell, I was reluctant. Sure, the tent looks amazing! I got to see and touch it at SEMA last year and became immediately enamored. But new relationships are hard, and I am an introvert.
As I contemplated the idea and scrutinized a side-by-side comparison of the two rooftop tents I realized the Magma is an upgraded Odyssey with some extra goodies. There won’t be any first-meeting awkwardness. We will hit it off immediately and then I will gain the benefit of the exterior coating and other goodies like the integrated interior LED lighting and storage box. Plus, the bed of my truck is lined with the same Line-X coating, so the finished aesthetic will be sublime.
What Line-X Does for You
A spray-on protective coating adds impact and abrasion resistance to the Magma’s shell, ideal for brushy tracks and frequent travel. It also pairs neatly with overlanding builds for that rugged aesthetic.
I accepted. Then I waited. The timing was terrible as global shipping ground to a halt with the announcements of tariffs and the ensuing uncertainty. My Magma tent, due in February, did not arrive until June. Hopes for springtime adventures in my new rooftop tent were dashed, a pity since the explosion of spring color in the high desert inspires awe. The temperatures are so much more tractable too. But alas, spring has passed, my Magma with its new tent smell is finally mounted on its rack, the bed is made, and the gear is all checked and restocked for a maiden voyage. So, I made plans.
David Gonzalez: Leslie Gulch Rd, Jordan Valley, OR
Leslie Gulch in Eastern Oregon has been on my list for a while. The geology is Martian, and at 2.5 hours away, it is close enough for an overnight. My only hesitation was about the weather. It was forecasted to be 100 degrees Fahrenheit! I knew that like my old Odyssey, my new Magma could be unzipped all around to allow maximum airflow and cooling. Plus, after some online digging I discovered a small camping area in Leslie Gulch called Slocum Creek Campground with big metal awnings at each campsite and a picnic table underneath. I also convinced myself that it was a Monday, the 25-mile dirt and sometimes very rough drive from I-95 was a barrier, and the forecast for soaring temperatures would all conspire to keep the masses away. I would be alone like dispersed camping but with shade.
That’s not what happened. As I pulled into the campground I was dumbfounded to discover half of the spots were already taken. There were no campsites available where I would not have somebody else beside me. Begrudgingly I decided to stay the course and picked the second-best campsite at the back since my first pick was occupied. To the left was a campsite settled by three guys, a tent, and an open-air Jeep Rubicon. To the right was a lone dude on a picnic table bench under the shade from a campsite awning, shirt off, and seemingly minding his own business, though I wondered where his gear was. Once I backed in, I hopped out of my truck and gave the dude a quick wave since he was staring right at me. My wave was greeted by the following proclamation: “Hey, fair warning, I just took a bunch of mushrooms so you might want to steer clear for a while.” Gulp… I had planned a 1.5-hour hike but started having visions of this dude in his altered state ravaging my gear like a rabid Capuchin. Of course I was just being paranoid. So, I threw on my lightweight pack with hydration, protein, and first aid essentials then marched out into the 100-degree gulch.
David Gonzalez: Afternoon at Slocum Creek Campground
Expert Tip
High-desert heat?
Maximize airflow by unzipping the 360º windows whenever safe during the day, and keep the solar powered rechargeable fan turned on for fresh nights. Lighter bedding helps your body regulate when temps drop after midnight.
Upon returning I was moist, tired, and more than a little annoyed that the drug-addled Capuchin was right where I left him. Well, annoyed, but also relieved that he hadn’t climbed up onto my truck to see if he could taste the Line-X coating on my Magma. I ignored him. Grabbing some nibbles and a magazine, I settled onto my shady picnic table to refuel, rehydrate, and read. Moments later I was startled by a, “Hey, sorry about that earlier, my mushroom experience is over,” as my neighbor appeared from around my truck. Next thing I know he introduces himself and sits down at my table! I am miffed, even though we share some similarities like both growing up in Western Washington and even overlapping for a short time at Microsoft Corporation. I also learned that all his gear is in the next campsite, apparently to protect it from his mushroom experience, so that mystery was solved but not soothing in any way. Then he proudly states that he is a “burner”. I had no idea what that meant but I didn’t have to wait long before he explained, unprovoked. He attends Burning Man every year and has for decades, which would explain the mushrooms. He seemed oblivious to social cues as I was clearly giving off waves of “please leave me alone”, saying nothing, and barely acknowledging. Yet he persisted undaunted.
David Gonzalez: Evening at Slocum Creek Campground
Then… two of the three guys next door, lured by the monologue, joined the party at my campsite that I DID NOT throw. These two – a 50-something year old from Detroit and a 29-year-old from Switzerland – expanded the conversation about Burning Man and what drugs are prevalent there and which drugs they all had with them right now. At this point I was sweating profusely, very anxious, and other than using my name during introductions, not involved in the conversation in the least, except for hosting, of course. This was a nightmare. Afterall, remember, I am an introvert and find myself surrounded by total strangers whose lifestyles could not be further from mine. One and a half hours later the third member of the party next door gave a holler to return for food. Those two interlopers left my campsite followed quickly by the Capuchin next door. Silence was restored, but the anxiety took much longer to subside. Once calm returned and my rehydrated Mexican-Style Adobo Rice & Chicken meal was down the hatch, I began to chuckle to myself at the irony. My chuckling grew as I watched the Capuchin make his way to each of the other six campsites for a chit-chat as the sun began to meander its way past the western gulch ridge. Clearly, he was an extravert, and my assumption of high temps, long drives, and Monday nights keeping the masses away was horribly misguided. Every campsite was eventually taken.
As I climbed up to my perch, still chuckling to myself, I realized the wind that had been keeping the Magma cool-ish had vanished completely. So, I powered up my invaluable rechargeable fan, flipped on my Magma’s super-slick LED lighting, and relaxed as the sun completed its disappearing act. Though exhausted, sleep did not immediately consume me. I was too busy reliving the day’s twists and turns and realizing how funny a story this might all make. But doze I did, eventually. By 2:00 AM the gulch had cooled enough to turn off my fan and grab a blanket. Then at sunrise, I packed up as quietly as possible and began my trek back home to avoid any more impromptu gatherings at my campsite.
David Gonzalez: Sunset in Leslie Gulch
The scenery in Leslie Gulch was dazzling. My only complaint was that I really wanted to get into the formations, admire their construction, and view them from different perspectives. But unfortunately, there were not enough trails to enable that kind of access. I suspect the steepness and loose eroded rock composition make trail formation and maintenance impractical, and possibly unsafe.
Regarding my Magma, however, there were no complaints whatsoever. We bonded easily without any awkwardness, unlike with my campsite neighbors, and I immediately appreciated the upgraded features. The night helped sooth my introversion, enabling me to move on from my old Odyssey and refocus rooftop camping on my swanky new Magma relationship. My rooftop reboot was complete.
David Gonzalez: Magma integrated LED lighting
David Gonzalez is a tech veteran with 30+ years of experience applying his physics, computer science, and business prowess to helping early-stage companies innovate and accelerate across numerous industries including handwriting and voice recognition, mortgages, renewable energy, storm water management and mental health.
Intermingled amongst these professional endeavors, David is also a family man. While devoted to his wife of 30+ years and his three uniquely insightful and grown children, he remains an avid athlete, favoring soccer, cycling, skiing, tennis, hiking and any opportunity to get the family into the wild.
David’s ideal evening? That’d be sitting around a campfire with his family, eating from rehydrated food pouches and regaling each other with tales of greatness from the day.
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Limited Edition
Inspired by the rugged texture of volcanic lava, the Line-X coating gives the Magma a distinctive appearance and unmatched durability. Red details throughout the tent evoke the fiery energy of magma, adding a touch of style to its rugged exterior.
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